London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jan 02, 2025

Elon Musk overtaken as world's richest person by LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault

Elon Musk overtaken as world's richest person by LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault

The Twitter and Tesla chief executive had held the title of world's richest person since September 2021, when he overtook Amazon's Jeff Bezos to the top spot.

Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is no longer the richest person in the world after being usurped by LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault.

According to Forbes' real-time billionaires list, the 51-year-old's net worth decreased by $4.5bn (-2.9%) in comparison to Arnault, who oversees some 70 fashion and cosmetic brands, whose rose by $849m (0.46%).

Arnault's net worth is listed as $187.3bn (£151.1bn) on the Forbes list.

Back in October, Arnault hit headlines after he sold his private jet after Twitter accounts such as @i_fly_Bernard and @laviondebernard sprung up on the social media platform to track the billionaire's aircraft, revealing the amount of pollution they cause.

A year prior, the same happened to Musk. The SpaceX and Tesla chief described the tracker, which uses publicly available air-traffic information, as a potential threat to his safety - and offered the teenager behind the social media page $5k (£4k) to shut down the @ElonJet account, which was rejected. Today, the account has been suspended.

Musk's $176.8bn (£142.6bn) real-time net worth is based largely on his 25% ownership of Tesla, but stocks closed down 6.87% for the day today.

Stocks of the automotive company have more than halved in value this year partially due to a sell-off that accelerated in the wake of Musk's $44bn (£35.5bn) Twitter acquisition, CNBC reports, where he sold off approximately $4bn (£3.2bn) of Tesla stock.

Forbes said that the businessman's wealth peaked in November 2021 when he was worth $320bn (£258bn).


CEO of LVMH Bernard Arnault

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which uses slightly different methodologies, was updated on Wednesday and also ranked Musk's fortune behind Arnault.

Musk had been the world's richest man since September 2021, taking over from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Much of Musk's wealth is tied up in his private companies including rocket and internet firm SpaceX, infrastructure and tunnel construction services company The Boring Company, and Neuralink, which wants to put computer chips in people's brains.

According to Bloomberg, SpaceX, formerly known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp, is valued at around $140bn (£112.9bn) and dominates the market for commercial space launch.

Musk's dip in global wealth rankings comes shortly after he was greeted with "a lot of boos" during an awkward on-stage appearance at a Dave Chappelle comedy show in San Francisco.

In a clip posted to the mogul's Twitter account, Chappelle is seen asking audience members to "make some noise for the richest man in the world".

They promptly oblige, though likely not in the way either of the men intended. Trying to interject the hostile reaction, Musk spent most of the five-minute appearance awkwardly standing still or pacing around on stage.

In a now deleted tweet, Musk insisted that the crowd was "90% cheers" and "10% boos," which were a result of having offended "San Francisco's unhinged leftists".

A day after his appearance with Chappelle, Twitter dissolved its Trust and Safety Council, which was formed in 2016 to address hate speech, child exploitation, suicide, self-harm and other problems on the platform.

Shortly after buying Twitter for $44bn in late October, Musk said he would form a new "content moderation council" to help make major decisions, but later changed his mind.

Last week, three council members announced they were resigning in a public statement posted on Twitter that said "contrary to claims by Elon Musk, the safety and wellbeing of Twitter's users are on the decline".
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Halts Russian Gas Transit, Sparking Energy and Diplomatic Turmoil in Europe
Terror Strikes New Orleans: Tragic New Year's Eve Attack Leaves 15 Dead
Tragedy at Sea: 20 Missing in Mediterranean Migrant Crisis
Romania and Bulgaria Join EU's Schengen Zone, Removing Land Border Controls
Australian Home Prices Begin to Cool After Nearly Two Years of Gains
Energy Bills Surge Again Amid Economic Strain on Families
Ivory Coast Announces Departure of French Troops
Ivory Coast to Evict French Troops Amid Surging Calls for African Sovereignty
Ukraine Ends Russian Gas Transit: A Shift with Geopolitical Ripples
Military Appeals Court Upholds 9/11 Plea Deals, Limiting Defense Secretary's Authority
Guatemalan Authorities on High Alert as 'Lev Tahor' Cult Leaders Threaten to Flee with Children to Mexico
South Korea Issues Arrest Warrant for Ousted President Over Martial Law Declaration
Russia and Ukraine Conduct Major Prisoner Exchange Amid Ongoing Conflict
Jimmy Carter: A Legacy of Peace and Humanity Remembered at 100
Kim Jong-un Pledges Toughest Anti-US Policies Amid Rising Tensions
In Unprecedented Exchange, Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of Prisoners
Trinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency as Murder Rates Surge
Debate Over Transgender Inmate Policies Intensifies Amid Allegations of Assault in US Women’s Prison
Trump's Stance on H-1B Visas: Balancing Economic Value and National Interest
Channel Tragedy: Three Dead in Record Year for Perilous Crossings
Jimmy Carter: The Legacy of America's Centennial Statesman
Record Tragedy in the Channel: Three Dead and 2024 Becomes Deadliest Year for Sea Crossings
Operation Beepers: A Remarkable Triumph of Israeli Intelligence Against Hezbollah
Rail Unions Keep the UK in a Chokehold: The Battle Over Power and Pay
Today, Biden allocated an additional $1.25 billion to Ukraine.
Biden Reportedly Regrets Decision to Step Aside, Claims He Could Defeat Trump
Russian Tanker Seized in Baltic Investigated for Espionage
Elon Musk's Controversial Endorsement Adds Tension to German Politics
Putin Extends Olive Branch Amidst Tensions Over Azerbaijan Airlines Crash
Elon Musk’s Controversial Endorsement of Germany's AfD Sparks Editorial Resignation
The Missteps of 2024: Teams, Coaches, and Players Who Fell Short
Frustrated Canadian tells Trudeau to "Get out of BC" during his Christmas vacation ski trip
In Syria today, responding incorrectly to the question 'Are you Alawi or Sunni?' can be detrimental to your well-being.
Restricted Area in Australia
NATO to Amplify Baltic Defenses Amidst Shadowy Undersea Sabotage Claims
Dense Fog Disrupts Over 1,000 Flights at Heathrow and Gatwick
Biden Administration Commits Additional Military Aid to Ukraine
Biden Boosts Ukrainian Defense as North Korea Sinks Deeper into Russia's War
Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Triggers Speculation of Russian Misfire
Western Support for Ukraine Wanes Amidst Trump’s Return and Russian Resurgence
Ukraine Strikes Russian Missile Factory, Deepening Tensions
Ireland's Medieval Ecclesiastical Register Undergoes Conservation
The Closure of the Global Engagement Center: Controversy, Claims, and Conclusions
The Rise of Princess Charlotte: A New Star in the Royal Firmament
Diplomatic Waters: Finland's Seizure of a Russian-linked Vessel in the Baltic Sea
Reform UK Declares Itself the 'Real Opposition' Amid Membership Surge
Pope Francis Opens Holy Door at Major Italian Prison
Britain’s ‘Wild West’ of Weight-Loss Jab Promotions Faces Growing Scrutiny
Pope Francis Urges Unprecedented Dialogue Amid Escalating Ukraine-Russia Tensions
Dozens Survive Kazakhstan Passenger Jet Crash Amid Tragedy
×